Outlet-box.



E. L. PIERCE.

OUTLET BDX. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1907.

. 904,01 1 v Patented Nov. 17,1908.

I' I IV I I III per ring and leave the opening in condition immaterial as they may vary with the uses punched from the stopper ring but not com- UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFTCE.

ERWIN L. PlER( E, OF EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES S. KNOWLES, Ol NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

OUTLE T-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Application filed August 31,

Patented Nov. 17, 1908. 1907. Serial No. 390,879.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, Enwrx L. PIERCE, of f Everett, in the State of Massachusetts, havei invented a new and useful Outlet-Box, of i which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to outlet boxes which are used for making or changing connections in electrical wiring.

The object of my invention is to provide an outlet box whose openings are adapted for use with different sizes of conduits, and my invention is an outlet box having one or more openings through its wall, each opening being closed when not in use by two or more removable stoppers which are so arranged that one may be removed to make an opening for one size of conduit while two ma be removed for a larger size of conduit and so on.

A feature of my invention consists in having opposed stoppers in the openings of the box, that is. one stopper is removable in one. direction only, while the opposed stopper is removable in the opposite direction only.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a bottom plan of an outlet box embodying my invention; Fig. 2 isa central vertical section of the box shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a similar sec tion showing different conduits'in place.

My outlet box comprises body A with openings at, a, a, through its wall. The number and location of these openings are to which the boxes may be put. These openings are to receive the conduits for the wires and it is desirableto have the openings adapted to receive different sizes of conduits. For example, there may be used a flexible metal pipe B or a rigid metal pipe B or a circular loom tubing B It is the general custom to have two sizes of conduitsso that a box whose openings are adapted for use with two sizes of conduit is highly important and desirable. a

I have shown in the drawings a box with several openings and each opening has a stopper ring (Z within it and within the ring is a stopper 0!. I prefer to'punch the stopper ring from the box but not completely so that when a particular opening is to be used a blow of a hammer or other. suitable...

tool will complete the removal of the stopto receive the conduit. The stopper d. is

in the form shown in the drawii'lgs. There 1s an important efiect due to the punching which is that the metal is left in such condition that the portion which has been partly removed cannot as a practical matter be again returned to its original position but its complete removal must be had in the same direction in which it started. I am at the opinion that this etl'cct is due in part at least to the condition of the metal resulting from the shearing. I am also of the opinion that the partly removed portion becomes arched and therefore resists attempts to return it to its original position. However that maybe the factis that it is practically impossible to soreturn it. This effect is also had as to stopper d with relation to ring 0? and the importance of it is that if it is desired to have a small opening a blow from a hammer on stopper (Z' in the upward direction in Fig. 2 will remove that stopper but cannot remove the stopper ring because -the latters movement in that direction is resisted as above explained. The result will be that the smaller opening is provided. If it is desired to have the larger opening, the blow of the ha'mmer is applied downwardly but the stopper (l cannot move in this direction relatively to stopper ring d. The latter, however, is- .in condition to move in this downward direction so that the blow will force both the ring 51 and stopper (l to the interior of the box, thus providing the larger opening.

Several methods of connecting. the conduits are shown in the drawings. For example, conduit B is simply inserted in the opening; conduit B is threaded to engage a nut outside of and a nut inside of the wall of the box; and conduit B is connected to a cup which has a shoulder to engage the outside of the wall of the box and which is threaded to engage a nut on the inside of the wall of the box.

I What I claim is:

1. An out-let box comprising a bodyfwith an opening through its wall; a stopper ring held in that opening but removable therefrom in one direction only; and a stopper held in that ring but reihovable from the ring in the opposite direction only.

"2. An-outlet box comprising a body with an opening through its wall; an outer stopfrom said outer stopper in the opposite'di- A rection so as to be removable in the opposite 10 direction only.

3. An outlet box comprising a body with an opening through its wail; an outer stopper partly punched from said body; and an inner stopper partly punched from said outer stopper.

ERWIN L. PIERCE.

Witnesses i I I JOSEPH KEEFE, G. A. ROCKWELL. 

